


Monkey Bars Are Workout Equipment

by PolarisRefractedIntoJoy



Series: Denver, Iowa [5]
Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 02:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30014457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PolarisRefractedIntoJoy/pseuds/PolarisRefractedIntoJoy
Summary: Garen makes friends with some other kids while Vi gets into a heated competition over playground pull ups.
Relationships: Garen Crownguard & Vi (League of Legends)
Series: Denver, Iowa [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2206464





	Monkey Bars Are Workout Equipment

**Author's Note:**

> How many pull ups could a pull up pull up if a pull up could pull pull ups?

"Oi, Gare Bear." 

Garen, too tired from their "workout" to complain about the nickname, decided to just bite back with one of his own. "What is it, Village Idiot?" 

"Check that guy over there out." Vi pointed towards a boy who looked about their age doing pull ups on the monkey bars. "He's on 5. 6. 7. Is he really still going?" 

Garen watched as he kept going, sweat matting his dark red hair to his forehead. 8. 9. 10. The boy finally dropped to the ground, flexing his arms to to a small crowd of three other kids who clapped, seemingly impressed by his display. Garen understood the feeling. 

"I'm gonna challenge him." 

"Vi, no-" Garen started, but it was already too late. The pink haired girl was already sauntering towards the boy, calling out a challenge.

"Oi, monkey bars boy! You think ten pull ups is impressive? That's nothing, check this out!" Garen watched helplessly as Vi jumped up to grab the monkey bars, pulling her chin above them and loudly counting one. 

With seemingly no choice, Garen meandered over to where the other kids were sitting down as Vi continued to count. "Hello, my name's Garen. Sorry about my friend. She gets super competitive when it comes to stuff like this." 

He received back two hellos, and a nod. "My name's Alune.", spoke the white haired girl in the centre. Pointing to to her left to a boy with black hair, she introduced him as well. "This is my brother Aphelios." The boy waved to Garen, who waved back. The green haired girl on her right spoke last, introducing herself as well. "Hello, Garen. My name's Soraka." 

"Nice to meet you guys." The brown haired boy responded, before looking back at Vi, who was struggling to finish her 12th pull up, just managing to get her chin above the bar before dropping down. "Beat that!" 

"That's nothing! Watch this!" The red haired boy jumped back up, starting on another set of pull ups, similarly counting out loud. 

"You'll find Sett over there is probably more meatheaded than your friend, Garen." Alune called out, resulting in Soraka and Aphelios giggling, albeit with Aphelios giggling silently, his shoulders shaking as he smiled. 

Garen raised his eyebrows. "Nah, not possible. I once saw Vi pretend she was at the gym with Arnold Schwarzenegger to motivate herself to keep exercising. She didn't walk normally for like a week because of all the strain." 

"Sett once did pushups until he threw up." 

Garen sat next to the three others, observing Sett as he hit his 13th pull up and the dropped down, only to be followed immediately by Vi starting another set. 

"I'm impressed, but at the same time I don't think that's impressive." 

Alune grinned right at him. "That's exactly how I feel." 

_It is impressive,_ Aphelios signed to his sister. _I could never do that!_

Soraka nodded. "Phel's right. I think it's pretty cool that Sett's so strong." 

"Um, Alune?" Garen asked. 

"I know what you're about to ask. No, he's not deaf, just mute." She responded tersely, a measure of hostility in her voice. Garen assumed that Aphelios had probably been bullied about this in the past from her reaction. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." He said hurriedly, before quickly bringing his hands up and signing something to the three of them. _My grandmother and one of my aunties are deaf. Mum had me and my sister learn to sign so we could talk with them._

While Alune and Soraka were surprised by Garen suddenly signing, Aphelios smiled wide and started signing hurriedly to Garen. _You sign? That's so cool! The only people I know who sign are my parents, Lunie and Raka!_

Garen signed back, a little less sure of his motions due to not having as much practice as the others, but managed to complete his sentences correctly. _Yeah, me, my sister, and my mom. Dad only a little bit, since no one on his side of the family signs. He made an effort for grandma and auntie, though._

Aphelios signed back to Garen, a little less quickly this time. _You can talk out loud, if you like. I can hear, I just can't talk._

"Well, if you don't mind..." Garen spoke, before being interrupted by a celebratory whoop from Vi, who had managed to one up Sett, who of course responded by immediately jumping back onto the monkey bars with a determined countenance. 

"So, uh... How do you guys know each other?" Garen asked, hoping to fill some empty air as Vi and Sett continued their competition. 

Somewhat to his surprise, it was Soraka that answered. "Me and Sett are next door neighbors. We met Lunie and Phel in kindergarten. Turned out they lived like two streets away from us the entire time!" She explained. "What about you and, um..." Soraka trailed off, not knowing the pink haired girl's name. 

"Oh, uh, her name's Vi. Sorry I forgot to introduce her." He said sheepishly. "She's my next door neighbor too. My family moved here from Chicago." He explained. 

"Wow, that's pretty far. Do you miss it? Chicago, I mean." Alune questioned. 

"Not really, I guess? Mostly I miss my friends. I keep in contact with them, though. Still wish I could see them." 

"Do you want to go back?" 

The question caught Garen off guard. His face narrowed as he scrunched his eyes and eyebrows slightly, thinking for a moment. "Um, I guess not. I like it here. And I've made friends here too, so it's not like I'm lonely." 

_That's good,_ Aphelios signed. _But if you ever need someone to hang out with come hang with us! We're usually here by the playground. Sett says it's the best place for exercise._

Garen smiled. "I think I will. Especially if it means I can have a break from Vi and her, uh..." He gestured to where Sett had seemingly one upped Vi, who was already jumping back up to the bars in attempt to beat him. Alune, Soraka, and Aphelios all nodded in understanding. "Would guys mind if I brought my sister along? And uh, she'd probably bring her friends..." Garen scrunched his eyebrows together. "Unless, that's, uh, too many people..." 

"Not at all!" Soraka interceded his train of thought. "The more the merrier. That's the saying, right?" 

Before Garen could thank her, a loud thud was heard as Vi came crashing to the ground, landing flat on her bum. "What's the matter, can't do one more?" Sett gloated. 

"Hey! I made 15, same as you!" Vi answered back. "And if you can do more, then hop up there and go higher!" 

Sett looked between her and the bars, weighing up whether he wanted to attempt one up her again or end up flopping out early and embarrassing himself. 

Seeing this, Soraka dusted her skirt off and walked over to where Sett and Vi were arguing, offering her hand to Vi and helping her up, before putting a hand on both Sett and Vi's shoulders, to hold their attention. "If you did 15 each, then it's a tie, isn't it?" 

Both Sett and Vi murmured in assent, not particularly wanting to admit they hadn't won, but knowing they wouldn't win the argument. "How about we shake hands and agree that you're both very strong?" 

"Alright, fine. You're pretty good, uh..." 

"Sett. And you're pretty good too, um..." 

"Vi." The two competitors shook hands. "But next time, I'm gonna kick your butt." Vi smirked.

"Oh yeah?" Sett grinned. "Bring it. I once did push ups until I threw up." 

"Yeah well, I once pretended I was competing with Arnold Schwarzenegger and couldn't walk properly for a week after because of how hard I went!" 

The two kids laughed, continuing to brag to each other about how hard they could exercise. 

"Birth of a beautiful friendship," Alune gagged. "At least Sett will have someone other than us to do his ridiculous work outs with." 

Watching Vi point excitedly at him while talking with Sett, Garen failed to share in the girl's sentiment. Looks like he'd be roped into even more exercise from now on.

**Author's Note:**

> Sett and Vi be like: *bicep flex handshake meme*


End file.
